Google Says Its 'Made It Easier' For Gemini To Interact With Your Device, But Some Are Now Worried About Their Privacy

Google, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc. GOOGL, GOOG, informed Android users via email on Wednesday that its AI, Gemini, will be granted access to personal apps, regardless of user consent. The rollout has raised significant privacy concerns.

What Happened: Google recently sent out an email with the subject line- "We've made it easier for Gemini to interact with your device," to some Android users, informing them that Gemini will now have access to their phone, messages, WhatsApp, and other utilities, regardless of whether the Gemini Apps Activity is on or off. This change, as per the email, will be implemented on July 7, Gizmodo reported.

The email also states that if users do not wish to use these features, they can turn them off in the Apps settings page. However, the email does not specify where to find that page or what exactly will be disabled if users avail themselves of that setting option. When App Activity is enabled, Google stores information on Gemini usage, which may be reviewed by a human.

These changes have raised concerns among users about the protection of their privacy and the extent of AI access to personal information. Google’s decision to expand Gemini’s access to critical apps has sparked a debate about data collection and privacy in the age of AI integration.

Why It Matters: This development comes on the heels of Google’s aggressive new defense against internet scams, with the deployment of its on-device Gemini AI model to detect and block fraudulent websites in real-time, significantly expanding its security capabilities across Chrome, Search, and Android operating systems.

Moreover, in May, Benzinga reported that Apple AAPL was likely to open LLMs and integrate Gemini on iPhone at WWDC, as per an analyst. This was seen as a significant step in the integration of AI into operating systems.

These developments are indicative of the increasing integration of AI into daily activities and the potential impact on user privacy.

Price Action: On Wednesday, Alphabet Class A shares closed 2.3% higher at $170.68, the shares rose nearly 0.4% in the after-hours trading. On the same day, the Class C shares rose 2.2% to $171.49. The Class C shares also gained 0.4% in the after-hours session, according to Benzinga Pro data.

Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings indicate that Alphabet Class A stock has a Momentum in the 25th percentile. How does the stock stack up against other tech giants? Find out here.